He will have Kurt Busch, whom he is battling for a Chase for the Sprint Cup spot, starting next to him.

Here’s a look at the lineup Saturday for NASCAR’s regular-season finale, the Federated Auto Parts 400:

1. Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet — Picked a great time for first pole of the year. Six points out of a Chase spot, the pressure is on Gordon. He’s a four-time champ but even a top-10 finish — he has seven in the last 10 races — is no guarantee he can make up the ground. But at least he knows he should get a bonus point for leading a lap as he has the preferred inside lane for the start of the race.

2. Kurt Busch, Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Chevrolet — In a Chase spot at 10th in the standings, he's trying to cap a storybook season by leading the first single-car team into the Chase. First chapter already well written — he’s starting on the front row.

3. Brad Keselowski, Penske Racing No. 2 Ford — Has never led a lap at Richmond and needs a strong race plus help to make the Chase. Yeah, he’s starting third, but hope his 2012 Cup championship trophy isn’t expecting to share the shelf with another one in November.

4. Clint Bowyer, Michael Waltrip Racing No. 15 Toyota — Led 113 laps on way to runner-up finish at Richmond in April. Won this race a year ago. So expect him to be out front Saturday, and relatively early in the race, thanks to his solid starting spot.

5. Matt Kenseth, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota — Could finish last at Richmond and will still at least share the top spot in the standings after the Chase reset.

6. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota — Maybe the toughest race for him to miss earlier this year because of compression fracture in his back. Has two Cup wins at RIR, where he has attended races since being a little kid growing up in the Richmond suburbs.

7. Jamie McMurray, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing No. 1 Chevrolet — Still has an outside chance to make the Chase. Way outside. Like Richmond is outside of Washington outside.

8. Joey Logano, Penske Racing No. 22 Ford — Logano is eighth in the standings with top-fives in his last three race and top-10s in his last six. He’s starting eighth; if he stays in the top-10, he’ll be fine.

9. Greg Biffle, Roush Fenway Racing No. 16 Ford — Biffle is on the Chase bubble but the good news for this team is it has finished every race this year and on the lead lap in 20 of 25 events. If he finishes on lead lap, will be fine.

10. Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet — Johnson missed practice and qualifying Friday because of the birth of his daughter early in the morning. Regan Smith qualified the car so Johnson will move to the rear of the field Saturday for the green flag.

11. Martin Truex Jr, Michael Waltrip Racing No. 56 Toyota — Had the cast on his broken wrist re-done and re-fitted in hopes that it doesn’t melt and get soft in race as it did at Atlanta.

12. Juan Pablo Montoya, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet — Led 67 laps and finished fourth at Richmond in April and would have won were it not for a late-race caution.

13. Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota — Has the Chase for the Sprint Cup to look forward to starting next week, so no worries this time around at Richmond.

14. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet — Just needs to avoid a disaster to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Starting 14th, he’ll just need to stay out of trouble.

15. Aric Almriola, Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford — Almirola is 18th in the standings but has no shot to make the Chase.

17. Kevin Harvick, Richard Childress Racing No. 29 Chevrolet — He has three career Cup wins at Richmond, including in April. He’ll be a threat Saturday night.

18. Kasey Kahne, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet — About the only drivers who have had worse Cup racing fortune this year have been Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski. But Kahne has been able to overcome and has clinched at least a wild-card berth.

19. Jeff Burton, Richard Childress Racing No. 31 Chevrolet — Announced Wednesday he’s not returning in 2014. Says he wouldn’t be surprised if he wins one of final 11 races. But it would be a surprise to many others.

20. Brian Vickers, Michael Waltrip Racing No. 55 Toyota — Was in this car for Richmond earlier this year. He started second but finished 35th because of a wreck.

22. Paul Menard, Richard Childress Racing No. 27 Chevrolet — He could make the Chase. And Tim Tebow could start for an NFL team on Sunday. That’s what his chances are like.

23. David Ragan, Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Ford — At least the hauler should have interesting snacks with Farm Rich on the hood.

24. Ryan Newman, Stewart-Haas Racing No. 39 Chevrolet — Seems sure of where he’ll be in 2014 but not saying. Less sure if he’ll make the Chase and be racing for a championship next week, especially since he’s starting the worst among the 10 Chase bubble guys.

25. Casey Mears, Germain Racing No. 13 Ford — Led a lap last week at Atlanta. He’s led six laps this year.

26. Carl Edwards, Roush Fenway Racing No. 99 Ford — Had a little rift with Jeff Gordon at Atlanta but don’t expect any payback. Edwards didn’t seem interested in a rivalry with someone who has raced him clean for years.

27. Josh Wise, Front Row Motorsports No. 35 Ford — He was 28th at Richmond in April and it wouldn’t be a bad day if he matches that finish.

28. Landon Cassill, Mike Hillman Racing No. 40 Chevrolet — Building up points for this team could mean it could survive a bad qualifying effort later this year or next season.

29. David Stremme, Swan Racing No. 30 Toyota — Stremme is out as the driver of the car after Richmond. Cole Whitt will be behind the wheel at Chicagoland.

31. Joe Nemechek, Nemco-JRR No. 87 Toyota — Only third time he has qualified in top 36 this year.

32. Marcos Ambrose, Richard Petty Motorsports No. 9 Ford — Moved up two spots to 20th last week. Would make season less disappointing if he can stay there the last 11 weeks.

33. Travis Kvapil, BK Racing No. 93 Toyota — Has finished in the top 30 in four of the last five races.

34. AJ Allmendinger, JTG Daugherty Racing No. 47 Toyota — Bobby Labonte was scheduled to race but three broken ribs suffered in a bicycling accident last week will keep him on the sideline.

35. David Reutimann, BK Racing No. 83 Toyota — Had four DNFs in first 11 races. Has had just one in last 14.

36. Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing No. 10 Chevrolet — No truth to the rumor that after she won a celebrity episode of “Chopped” that Tony Stewart hired her as his personal chef.

37. David Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports No. 38 Ford — Stout run last week with a 17th-place finish at Atlanta, his best non-restrictor plate race of the year.

38. Ryan Truex, Phoenix Racing No. 51 Chevrolet — Hopes his second career Cup start is better than the 39-lap, 42nd-place day at Bristol that ended early because of an accident. Next week, Justin Allgaier is in the car as new team owner Harry Scott takes control of the team.

39. Reed Sorenson, Leavine Family Racing No. 95 Ford — Sorenson has replaced Scott Speed behind the wheel of the car as Speed apparently wasn’t happy team had parked early in recent weeks.